MORE NEWS, 8-19: MONEY COMES BACK TO WIND; CALIF SEEKS SEEDS TO GROW SUN; TED TURNER ON NAT GAS BANDWAGON; CASH FOR COAL CLUNKERS?

MONEY COMES BACK TO WIND
Ill winds abate for battered sector
Fiona Harvey, August 17, 2009 (UK Financial Times)

"Wind energy has suffered a battering in the financial storm of the past year but, as one of the most mature renewables, it looks set for a period of calm…The industry…offers steady returns over the lifespan of a turbine – two to three decades – but requires intensive capital spending, and projects are often at the mercy of government subsidies…In 2008 it showed strong growth. Global wind power capacity increased 29 per cent to 121 gigawatts, more than double the 48GW that existed in 2004…The market for installing turbines was worth $47.5bn…But…in the second half confidence evaporated…The first six months of 2009 were also difficult…

"Last year the US, with 25GW of installed capacity, overtook Germany (24GW) as the world’s biggest producer of power from wind, but its looks set to be overtaken within a few years by China (12GW). Other big markets are Spain (17GW) and India (10GW)…Growth has been more sluggish in the US this year…[awaiting] greater clarity on government subsidies."

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"The turbine market is dominated by a handful of big [European] players…[but increasingly] wind companies come from the developing world…Parts of the market may be ripe for consolidation…Turbines are only half the story. Operating wind farms is also big business. The biggest operators tend to be electrical utilities…There are also hundreds of smaller independent developers…Chilly market conditions have encouraged many wind companies to seek partners and others to drop out…

"Flotations have become as rare in wind as any other part of the market but analysts are excited by the prospect of a possible initial public offering for Enel Green Power…[a] unit of Italy’s Enel group…A flotation could value the company at $10bn-$15bn…Indian Energy…which builds and operates wind farms in India, hopes to raise £25m ($41m), which would value it at about £40m."

Global Cumulative New Wind Capacity keeps growing thru 2030. (click to enlarge)

"Project finance has been the biggest problem for wind developers…Wind farms require large amounts of capital for their installation, and banks that once demanded 18 basis points on debt financing now want 300bp…The vast majority of wind farms are located on land, while the offshore wind industry is small but growing…[because offshore installations] can be three times as expensive to build and maintain…

"Overall, medium-term prospects for the wind sector look promising. The Global Wind Energy Council predicts that the market will grow at an average of 22 per cent a year for the next five years, although this will vary dramatically according to region."


CALIF SEEKS SEEDS TO GROW SUN
California Wants to Lead With Solar Initiatives
John Gartner, August 18, 2009 (Matter Network via Reuters)

"California, which has often led the nation in emissions reductions and environmental initiatives, is not the standard bearer in producing renewable energy today…Counting solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal…California isn't at the top in total production, and as a percentage of energy produced, it's not even in the top five.

"Washington, with its longtime investment in hydropower, produced nearly 58 percent more renewable energy from electricity than California, according to 2007 data. In California, 25 percent of all energy produced comes from renewables…lower than Idaho (84 percent), Washington (77 percent), Oregon (65 percent), South Dakota (50 percent, Maine (49 percent) and Montana (34 percent)…[T]his is electricity generated not consumed. Many of the upper Midwest states actually export energy, while California imports the most energy in the country."

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"California's Go Solar program has been wildly successful during the past few years, but the state wants to add a feed-in tariff which would guarantee a price incentive for all renewable power that customers sell back to the grid. The California Public Utilities Commission is developing the FiT and is expected to announce its plan soon.

"…[California] first had the idea for a feed-in tariff for solar back in 1984. When the price of oil receded, the program was canceled…[but] copied with great success in Germany, Spain and elsewhere. The city of Gainesville, Florida was the first municipality in the U.S. with a FiT; California and Vermont are considering statewide programs."

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"The California legislature wants to expand the state's net-metering program…California currently requires utilities to buy solar from customers at its full retail rate for up to 2.5 percent of the utility's peak demand…AB 560…would double the net-metering cap to 5 percent of peak power…

"Expanding renewable power is just one of many major issues in the cash-strapped state [but]…For the Golden State to be the Gold Standard in renewables, it has a lot of work to do."


TED TURNER ON NAT GAS BANDWAGON
New Priorities For Our Energy Future
Ted Turner and T. Boone Pickens, August 17, 2009 (Wall Street Journal)

"Renewable energy and clean-burning natural gas are the basis of a new strategy the world needs to create a cleaner and more secure future. And the global transformation to a clean-energy economy may be the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century…[T]he U.S. sits on top of massive reservoirs of natural gas…more energy than all the oil in Saudi Arabia.

"Harnessing this…plus developing wind, solar and biofuel energy…is essential to achieve three strategic national priorities…Energy security…Economic security…[and] Climate security…Long-term economic and environmental interests compel us to put a priority on energy independence and a price on carbon pollution. Natural gas and renewable energy are obvious sources for cheap, clean and reliable electric power and transportation fuels."

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"In the electricity sector, natural gas is already cheap, available and ready to meet the nation's power needs while improving climate security. It emits about half the carbon dioxide…and far fewer of the heavy metals than does coal…[A] "cash-for-clunkers" program…[retiring old coal plants for new gas plants] can save money and reduce emissions right away…New coal plants should be required to combine natural gas with the coal they burn…and every power plant should meet strict carbon-emissions standards…We should also adopt a strong national standard requiring that electrical generation include a growing percentage of renewable fuels to…[ensure] America's place in the burgeoning global competition for innovative renewable and efficiency technologies….

"In the transportation sector, renewable energy and natural gas can also be deployed immediately. For a quarter century, natural-gas vehicle technology has been available…We can begin transitioning the nation's fleet of 6.5 million 18-wheelers that run regular routes. It would take just 20 refueling stations along a single highway to get trucks from one coast to the other…[U]rban business and government fleets also can quickly move to natural gas…The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach…and many municipalities are harnessing the economic and environmental benefits of natural gas-powered [trucks and] buses."

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"…Advanced biofuels produced from cellulosic material, such as forest residues, municipal waste or even algae, can [also] play a key role in reducing the vulnerabilities, emissions and costs associated with imported oil, while also providing new economic opportunities for America's farm communities.

"The economic, environmental, and national security imperatives of America's energy posture are clear, as is the proven potential of domestic natural resources like gas, wind and solar power. Coupled with energy efficiency, these resources have the potential to help jump-start the economy, drive prosperity and reduce emissions well into the 21st century. The keys are in our hands. All we have to do is unlock the door and start the engine."


CASH FOR COAL CLUNKERS?
'The Clunkers of the Power-Plant World'; Old Coal-Fired Facilities Could Escape New Rules
Kari Lydersen, August 17, 2009 (Washington Post)

"…[A]mong the nation's fleet of aging coal-fired power plants…[are a] handful…in the heart of urban areas…Many public health and environmental advocates say too little attention has been paid to…[such] "legacy" plants grandfathered in under the 1977 Clean Air Act and largely exempted from its requirement that facilities use the best pollution-control technology…

"Advocates hope the climate-control legislation pending in Congress would force these [“clunker’] plants to close. But they also warn that, depending how various aspects of the bill play out, it could instead motivate companies to increase their reliance on archaic plants."

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"If a climate-change bill drives up the cost of opening new plants, but provides free emissions allowances or potential carbon offsets for existing facilities, companies could have an incentive to squeeze even more power out of their old plants, many of which are running well below capacity.

"Some environmental groups are urging the Senate to include in its version of the legislation provisions to prevent that. But the legislation passed by the House in late June -- known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act -- mandates a 50 percent carbon reduction by 2025 for new plants, but puts no site-specific carbon-reduction requirements on existing facilities…"

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"[Environmentalists disagree on how problematic House bill provisions are]… Public health advocates say these urban power plants can pose a threat to local residents…A 2001 [Harvard] study… suggested that the two Chicago plants could cause 41 premature deaths and 550 emergency room visits per year…

"Environmental groups hope [a] lawsuit will spur the EPA to move faster in addressing…[violations]…Midwest Generation [a major urban polluter]…supported the House-passed legislation. And in anticipation of a climate bill capping greenhouse gas emissions, Midwest Generation is shifting its focus to renewable energy, including construction of a 240-megawatt wind farm in central Illinois...[An environmental group attorney] said Midwest Generation's renewable-energy efforts may reduce total carbon emissions, but will not do anything to help neighbors of the [urban] plants…"